Community Colleges Close Doors

Greg Jones

A recent article in the New York Times entitled Two-Year Colleges, Swamped, No Longer Welcome All, by Lisa Foderaro, outlines a problem arising from the resurgence of the two year university. As Lisa (the author of the article) rightfully points out; "The battered economy drove many workers back to school to retool their skills, while others have eschewed a four-year degree in favor of a more affordable two-year program." The increased popularity of two year universities has put a strain on the financiers of these institutions. States are cutting funding for these colleges just when they need it most to support this influx of new students. According to TIME Magazine, the Obama Administration is attempting to meet these short falls and increase enrollment in community colleges across the nation. The twelve billion that Obama is seeking for community colleges will go a long way to fund these schools, but the needs of these institutions are not going to be met until then. This has forced many community colleges to close their doors and stop enrolling more students, some for the first time ever.

The idea that community colleges will be unable to accept applicants is shameful. Community college has long been the place where students can go for a second chance should they fail out of a university or did poorly in high school. The elimination of these second chances as a viable option is giving the wrong message to college and high school students everywhere. In saying that they aren't allowed to screw up we are getting rid of their safety net and telling them that they won't get another chance. The funding proposed by Obama is a good start to ensuring that community colleges aren't relegated to a back seat role in American education, but there is more that we could be doing. State legislatures need to stop eliminating funding for education simply because it's an easy way to save a buck.